1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital multimedia broadcasting, and more particularly to a digital multimedia broadcasting receiver for preset recording and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Channels for digital multimedia broadcasting are divided into video channels and audio channels, and the audio channels are again divided into voice channels and music channels. The music channel continuously provides music 24 hours every day, and allows the user to preset a record function per each song. Preset recording represents a function to set recording of a song following the currently-played song through a music channel. A song preset to be recorded may be stored as a music file named “title (singer name)” in a memory of the digital multimedia broadcasting receiver. In the case in which an automatic preset-recording function is set, the preset recording for the next song is also automatically preset when the recording of the current song preset to be recorded is initiated. The user may activate the automatic preset-recording function through an environment set menu in the digital multimedia broadcasting receiver. The method for presetting the recording of a song received through a music channel in a mobile terminal capable of receiving a digital multimedia broadcast will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of only a preset recording function in a conventional mobile terminal capable of receiving a digital multimedia broadcast.
The mobile terminal includes a central processing unit (CPU) 100, which supports various multimedia functions as well as voice and data communication functions. The central processing unit 100 controls a multimedia module 200 to provide a digital multimedia broadcasting service to the user. That is, the central processing unit 100 controls the preset recording for songs of a music channel, which are provided through the multimedia module 200. For instance, when the preset recording for a predetermined song provided through the music channel is set, the central processing unit 100 extracts data about the starting time and ending time of the predetermined song from present and follow (P/F) information which is included in an event information table (EIT) of an electronic program guide (EPG).
The P/F information is updated before the current song changes to the next song, and includes data about the titles, the singer names, and the starting and ending times for the current song and next song. Therefore, data about the ending time of the current song preset to be recorded is included in the P/F information, which has been updated while the song previous to the current song is played. The central processing unit 100 extracts data about the starting and ending times of a song preset to be recorded from the P/F information, which has been updated before the song preset to be recorded is output. Then, the central processing unit 100 transmits a control signal to instruct the start of recording to the multimedia module 200 when the current time reaches the extracted starting time, thereby directing the multimedia module 200 to start the recording. Next, when the current time reaches the extracted ending time, the central processing unit 100 transmits a control signal to instruct the end of recording to the multimedia module 200, thereby directing the multimedia module 200 to stop the recording.
Meanwhile, the control signals from the central processing unit 100 to the multimedia module 200 are transmitted through inter-process communication (IPC). When the current time reaches the starting time of a song preset to be recorded, the central processing unit 100 transmits a control signal for the start of recording to the multimedia module 200 through IPC, so that the multimedia module 200 starts recording the desired song. However, the time point, at which the multimedia module 200 receives a control signal for the start of recording, may occur after a predetermined time has lapsed from the current time, that is, the time point is later than the starting time of the song preset to be recorded due to a time delay caused by the IPC. As a result, when the user reproduces the preset-recorded song in the future, the user cannot listen to the beginning of the song, as it has not been recorded. Also, in the case of the ending time for a song preset being recorded, since the multimedia module 200 receives a control signal for the end of recording from the central processing unit 100 at a time point later than the actual ending time of the song preset being recorded, due to a time delay caused by the IPC, the multimedia module 200 continues the recording of a song for a period of time after the playing of the song being preset-recorded has ended.